Lethian's Crossing

Lethian's Crossing is a location in Tyranny. If you chose Lethian's Crossing as your posting during Year 2 of the Conquest, the area will be controlled by either the Disfavored or the Scarlet Chorus. Otherwise, it's under Bronze Brotherhood control.

Background
Built in the shadow of an Oldwalls junction in the realm of Haven, Lethian's Crossing is a growing trading settlement. The nearby rivers are rich in iron ore, though the locals lack the technology to smelt and forge the element. Although Lethian was a mediocre merchant, she was a great leader. The war in the Northern Kingdoms cost her a very lucrative trade route up north, but she managed to earn trade stewardships from Kyros, and for a short time she had a monopoly on grain, salt, and tin in the Tiers. However, the next year, Lethian was stripped of her trade rights. Suddenly she had a large staff but no goods to trade and no means to pay anyone. Stubborn as a mule, she knew that if she just kept at it, eventually things would turn around for her. Rather than seek goods out, she focused on bringing them to her.

So she decided to concentrate on making an existing local settlement into the center of commerce for the Tiers and she did just that. Choosing a town nestled up to the Oldwalls seemed crazy, but Lethian's instincts proved correct. As a master of knots (a veritable Archon of the Rope), Lethian meticulously planned an extensive system of pulleys and mobile bridges based on dry dock mechanisms she observed in coastal cities. They would help her create an overland (or rather, over-Oldwall) route that would greatly reduce the travel time between the Bastard Tier and Haven. The hardest part was getting the initial climbing team to brave the Oldwalls and set the first ties, but pay a man enough rings...

The rope bridges let people cross the Oldwalls. With them, it didn't matter what trade rights she had, as her town would be at a crossroads to the Northern Tiers - an unbeatable location. It wasn't long after that it was renamed in her honor - and with the bridges over the Oldwalls, this was the only place to go if traders wanted to take weeks off of their trip. Eventually, she hired the Bronze Brotherhood to act as local guards; the Crossing was big enough and had enough commerce to warrant the protection. The siege of Ardent and the Bastard City ended up helping the town - all refugees heading to points east crossed through the Crossing settlement and many of them decided to stake a claim in the city. By then, Lethian also discovered there was iron in the rivers... She thought it'd make the town rich, but this also made it a target. Lethian's Crossing was the best bet to get your shipment where it needs to go. Mix a motherlode of iron ore into it and it suddenly had a target painted on it. Once they found iron in Portuscor River, suddenly everyone cared about who had control of the Crossing.

It was a simple discovery: There was a merchant who tried to peddle iron rocks as magical because they came from areas near the Oldwalls. One of the people he sold to happened to be a Disfavored courier. The courier then showed the rock to a Forge-Bound Master who immediately recognized its potential for making superior weapons. It was brought to Kyros' attention and soon afterword soldiers and Forge-Bound came to Lethian's Crossing. They came with such force, that the Crossing's options were to either comply or die, as Haven suddenly became a strategic region with the largest iron ore deposits across the Empire.

In the years following Kyros's conquest of the Tiers, the population swelled with refugees fleeing the destruction of their homelands. The presence of the Forge-Bound mining the iron, along with their guards, makes this makeshift settlement a vital resource for Kyros' armies.

During Conquest
The Crossing is one of two postings the Young Fatebinder can opt for in year 2, the other being Apex.
 * By selecting the Crossing, you must leave either the Disfavored or the Scarlet Chorus in control at the end. Both sides have different adjudication and quest opportunities, as well as brothels of different favours.
 * There is a dilemma involving Sirin, allowing you to earn Loyalty or Fear with her.

Garrison
You can enter Lethian's Crossing peacefully if you are not hostile with the Crossing's garrison.
 * Bronze Brotherhood garrison: do not attack Raetommon at Ironhaul Trail; this is impossible on a Disfavored or Anarchist path.
 * Having a Brotherhood garrison is one of the conditions required to get Myrek to back down, as you can then talk about Raetommon killing many Bronzemen during the attack on the Crossing.
 * Disfavored/Chorus garrison: on the respective faction paths.
 * Vendrien Guard garrison: Rebel path only; appears after completing Crossing the Oldwalls.

Destroying a hostile garrison is the objective of Crossing Carnage.

Note that completing Forbidden Passage/Finding a Madman will create a Disfavored/Scarlet Chorus garrison at the Crossing.

Points of interest

 * In the Rebel path, your first region in Act II will be here, and you have to choose either the Bronze Brotherhood or the Forge-Bound as your ally. Your choice of ally here will affect who your ally will be in the Stone Sea.
 * If you handled the Crossing during the Conquest, the area is controlled by the faction you chose. Otherwise, the Bronze Brotherhood will control the Crossing. On the Disfavored path, since you cannot pass through Ironhaul Trail peacefully, it'll be a long slog here, through several Brotherhood detachments. The city's divided into two districts, Sunrise (West) and Moonrise (East), divided by the Portuscor river. To deal with the civilians, you need to wipe out any hostiles.
 * To cross the bridge, you need a sturdy metal pole or 49 Athletics to force the winch.
 * Once everything is taken care of, you can peruse the merchants' wares. For example, Merchant Helina works the eastern bank and sells the unique Juggler's Gloves and Warrior's Girdle.
 * The Lethian's Mistress(Disfavored)/The Sword or Sheath(Scarlet Chorus) brothel and bar is located on the ground level in the Sunrise District; just look for the violet decorations near the door.
 * Available interiors are: Eldian's House, Sirin's Sanctuary, Kallion's House, settler's home (first one from the entrance to the Oldwalls, contains the Raven Shawl), The Forge, Deya's House.
 * Note that you can access the Spire from the settlement (although you'll not be able to get the complete charcoal rubbing); once you start the Act 2 quest related to the Crossing for your chosen faction (or sent to acquire the Magebane), the settlement-side entrance will be sealed off to prevent the Bane from attacking the city. It will only become accessible again after you defeat Raetommon and the resident Havoc. Alternatively, you will be able to enter when Act 3 starts and all the remaining Spires unlock.
 * Arbitration opportunities can be lost if not resolved before Raetommon's attack on the Crossing; some quests and arbitration opportunities are available only after the attack.

Characters

 * Eldian
 * Harchiand Bronze
 * Ring-Dropper Ceratha
 * Sirin, a companion
 * Phaedra and Deya
 * Forge-Bound
 * Zdenya, Master of the Forge
 * Lohara
 * Ulantis
 * Merchants
 * Merchant Helina (gear)
 * Merchant Basila (consumables)
 * Merchant Tychus (weapons)
 * Merchant Praxus (weapons)
 * Biotus (Forge-Bound gear)
 * Lethian's Mistress (if Lethian's Crossing is controlled by the Disfavored)
 * Mistress Sophia
 * Galum, Lorid, Timo, Zotica.
 * The Sword or Sheath (if Lethian's Crossing is controlled by the Scarlet Chorus)
 * Baylen Turr
 * Evarista, Thallus, Sheila, Roxana, Charitus, Philo, Half-Mast
 * Adjudication opportunities
 * Bronze Brotherhood
 * Felno and Krassner, arguing over a job.
 * Evander, Felix, and Mares, arguing over another job.
 * Scarlet Chorus
 * Gravin, Droop Eye, and Rip Throat, arguing over a brothel stud.
 * Xenia, Wenhaver, and Half Scar, arguing over a theft.
 * Tharek and Flick, arguing over discounts.
 * Jag and Tippler, having a drinking contest.
 * Disfavored
 * Lorent and Aulus, engaged in a dispute over trade rights.
 * Cressina and Vitus, arguing over confiscation and destruction of Forge-Bound property.
 * Tarquin and Livia, a pair of Disfavored arguing who's more dishonored.
 * Others
 * Kallion, a worried/grieving brother at Kallion's House.
 * Svansen, a mind-wiped Forge-Bound (only if you chose to wipe his mind during A Red Anvil).

Loot

 * Frozen Shackle: Found upstream, in a hidden alcove.
 * Broken Hilt: In a locked chest in the south-eastern corner.
 * Raven Shawl: In a settler's home, near the entrance to the Oldwalls.